TEMPE, Ariz. — Mike Trout takes three backward paces out of the batter’s box. He swings leisurely, adjusts his batting gloves, then his helmet. He saunters back across the chalk, then digs his feet into the dirt for the next pitch.

There is little reason for USC to celebrate this season, but a victory over host UCLA Wednesday night would overshadow anything accomplished by an Andy Enfield team the past two years. Is it even conceivable the Trojans can stay close to the Bru...

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High school baseball

DAILY NEWS TOP 10 BASEBALL POLL 1. ALEMANY: Experienced team with great hitting and pitching 2. CHATSWORTH: Legendary coach Tom Meusborn is back running the ship 3. HART: Top team in Foothill League has two big-time pitchers 4. EL CAMINO REAL: Loaded with outstanding juniors 5. AGOURA: Bryce Fehmel and Co. should win Marmonte League 6. HARVARD-WESTLAKE: No more flame throwers in North Hollywood 7. MOORPARK: Ready to reach the next...

Legal proceedings

A Torrance judge Monday denied video and still photography coverage of next week’s domestic violence trial for Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov. Judge Eric Taylor, however, allowed news outlets, including the Daily Breeze, access to shoot photos and video in his courtroom just before the case begins with attorneys’ motions...

USC

USC is already being mentioned as the favorite to win next year’s Pacific-12 Conference title and the Trojans open spring practice Tuesday. Here’s are the top issues entering Steve Sarkisian’s second season: FIVE QUESTIONS 1. Who replaces Leonard Williams? NFL teams are so impressed Williams might go as high as No. 2 in the NFL draft, which just confirms how influential he was at USC last season. Truthfully, no one is...

Lakers

The past year has featured plenty of life-turning events that left Ryan Kelly feeling excited and frustrated. The Lakers signed Kelly this summer to a two-year deal worth around $3.5 million after he showied promise his rookie season as the 48th overall draft pick. Kelly also married...

Obituaries

CHICAGO >> Minnie Minoso, the seemingly ageless Cuban slugger who broke into the majors just two years after Jackie Robinson and turned into the game’s first black Latino star, has died, a medical examiner in Illinois said Sunday. The Cook County medical examiner’s office did not immediately offer further details. There is some question about Minoso’s age but the Chicago White Sox say he was 90. Minoso played 12 of his 17 seasons in Chicago, hitting...

By Jay Cohen
The Associated Press
|2 days ago

Angels

The pundits are trying to recalibrate the Angels’ chances in the American League West. The websites that hold everyone but themselves to a standard of behavioral perfection are doing their usual end-zone dance. Nevertheless, there are people who actually care about Josh Hamilton and can help him. He should gather them. Although Major League Baseball has not announced it, the assumption is that Hamilton will soon be suspended for substance...

Dodgers

GLENDALE, Ariz. >> To hear Dodgers pitcher Brandon League tell it, shedding 20 pounds and giving up alcohol were just a means to the end. The fact that the Dodgers are encouraging players to eat organic food in spring training, and League has been on a paleo diet for months? Pure coincidence. The only purpose for the change in lifestyle, he says, was to have more energy. It began in August 2014, a time in the baseball calendar when...

Sports

Reality finally caught up to the Lakers, and the implications depend on how you view their 2014-15 season. Do you lament the Lakers losing 108-101 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday at Staples Center and ending a three-game winning streak? Or do you celebrate the Lakers (16-42) returning to mediocrity for the sake of maximizing their chances in the NBA draft lottery? Lakers coach Byron Scott reported recently viewing his Instagram account, estimating that Lakers fans feel...

Clippers

CHICAGO >> DeAndre Jordan’s rebounding was too much for the short-handed Chicago Bulls. Jordan continued his recent tear with 26 rebounds and Chris Paul had 28 points 12 assists and the Clippers earned a 96-86 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. Jordan had 17 rebounds in the first two periods, the most by an NBA player in one half this season. In his 300th straight game, the longest active streak in the league, the league’s top rebounder also...